Central District of California | Former NBA Star, Suspected Israeli Crime Determine Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging Excessive-Stakes Unlawful Poker Video games at Encino Mansion

LOS ANGELES – Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas and 5 different defendants – together with a suspected high-level member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group – have been arrested right now on a federal indictment alleging they operated an unlawful playing enterprise by which high-stakes poker video games have been performed at an Encino mansion Arenas owned.

Arenas, 43, a.ok.a. “Agent Zero,” of Woodland Hills, is charged with one depend of conspiracy to function an unlawful playing enterprise, one depend of working an unlawful playing enterprise, and one depend of creating false statements to federal investigators.

He is scheduled to make his preliminary look and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

Also charged within the indictment and arrested right now in reference to the unlawful playing enterprise prices are:

• Yevgeni Gershman, 49, a.ok.a. “Giora,” of Woodland Hills; a suspected organized crime determine from Israel;
• Evgenni Tourevski, 48, a.ok.a. “Eugene,” of Tarzana;
• Allan Austria, 52, a.ok.a. “Elica,” of West Hills;
• Yarin Cohen, 27, a.ok.a. “YC,” of Tarzana; and
• Ievgen Krachun, 43, of Tarzana.

Each of those defendants is charged with one depend of conspiracy to function an unlawful playing enterprise and one depend of working an unlawful playing enterprise. Their preliminary appearances and arraignments are scheduled for this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

According to the indictment returned on July 15 and unsealed right now, from September 2021 to July 2022, Gershman, Arenas, and the opposite defendants operated an unlawful playing enterprise. Arenas rented out an Encino mansion he owned for the aim of internet hosting high-stakes unlawful poker video games. At Arenas’ path, Arthur Kats, 51, of West Hollywood, staged the mansion to host the video games, discovered co-conspirators to host the video games, and picked up lease from the co-conspirators on Arenas’ behalf.

Gershman, Tourevski, Austria, and Cohen managed unlawful “Pot Limit Omaha” poker video games, amongst different unlawful video games, on the Encino mansion, collected a “rake” – a charge the home charged from every pot both as a proportion or a set quantity per hand – and invited gamers to compete.

Gershman employed younger ladies who, in change for suggestions, served drinks, offered massages, and supplied companionship to the poker gamers. The ladies have been charged a “tax” – a proportion of their earnings from working the video games. Chefs, valets, and armed safety guards additionally have been employed to employees these unlawful poker video games. 

Krachun labored as a “chip runner,” by which he tracked gamers’ wins and losses, distribute poker chips to gamers, and pay staff.

Gershman, an Israeli citizen, is also charged together with Valentina Cojocari, 35, of Woodland Hills, with three further counts – conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, and making a false assertion on an immigration doc. In early 2022, Gershman conspired with Cojocari to enter right into a sham marriage for the needs of acquiring everlasting authorized standing within the United States and lied to immigration authorities to obtain authorized standing for Gershman, who offered monetary assist to Cojocari in change for her participation within the sham marriage.

Both Gershman and Cojocari submitted false info on their U.S. immigration types, together with Gershman’s solutions of “no” as as to whether he had ever been detained by any regulation enforcement official and as as to whether he meant to interact in unlawful playing or some other type of commercialized vice.

Cojocari additionally was arrested right now and is scheduled to make her preliminary look and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

An indictment incorporates allegations {that a} defendant has dedicated a criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed to be harmless till and until confirmed responsible in court docket.

If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory most sentence of 5 years in federal jail for every depend.

Homeland Security Investigations’ Northridge Office, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Major Crimes Division – Transnational Organized Crime Section, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Samuel J. Diaz of the Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan J. Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is dealing with the asset forfeiture-related portion of this case.